wobble 1 of 2

verb

ˈwä-bəl How to pronounce wobble (audio)
variants also wabble
Definition of wobblenext
1
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the patient's hand wobbles so much that he can scarcely hold a glass of water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to sway
to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions the table wobbled whenever I leaned on it

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to hesitate
to show uncertainty about the right course of action we cannot afford to have the governor wobble at this critical time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to falter
to swing unsteadily back and forth or from side to side the drunk stood up, wobbled for a moment, and fell forward

Synonyms & Similar Words

wobble

2 of 2

noun

variants also wabble
as in tremor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wobble
Verb
Draper wobbled, losing his serve on his first attempt to close out the match, but settled down on his second attempt and finished the two-time defending champion 6-1, 0-6, 6-4. — Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025 Airline stocks also wobbled on Tuesday after Delta Air Lines and American Airlines issued warnings about a worsening economy. — Joe Rennison, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
The instrument seeks out planets by detecting the subtle wobble of stars as the gravity of orbiting planets tug on their stellar hosts, known as the radial velocity technique. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025 Because of the wobble in the Earth’s axis, called precession, the constellation Aries is no longer in the background during the equinox. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wobble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wobble
  1. shake
  2. sway
  3. hesitate
  4. falter
  5. tremor
  6. quiver
  7. lurch
  8. wait
Verb
  • The back-and-forth over tariffs shook confidence in U.S. leadership, exposed fractures within Trump’s team and rattled companies that rely on global sources for products and international customers for sales.
    — Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Trump's punishing tariffs have shaken a global trading order that has persisted for decades, raised fears of recession, and driven worldwide stocks sharply downward.
    — Joe Cash and Trevor Hunnicutt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Science fiction becomes a shopping reality: Gen AI tools are replacing search engines; social media platforms are becoming purchase powerhouses; and influencers—ordinary people in almost every conceivable way—now have epic reach and sway.
    — Lindsey Mazza, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Organizers hope the nationwide protests will sway lawmakers on issues such as voting rights, social services, and economic policy.
    — John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of sway
Verb
  • For those who have hesitated due to financial concerns, now may be the right time to take the leap.
    — Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The time and place to hesitate, to overthink, to pass up a good shot in hopes of getting the best one has passed for the UConn men.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of hesitate
Verb
  • If the book falters, the production numbers – some based on famous Marilyn images and tropes, like the Seven Year Itch‘s subway grate scene, and the Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend bit – are suitably flashy.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Even before the tariffs, Tesla’s business was faltering.
    — Lora Kolodny,Ari Levy, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of falter
Noun
  • On Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets made headlines across the NBA by parting ways with both their championship-winning head coach, Michael Malone, and general manager, Calvin Booth—a move that surprised many and sent tremors through the league.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The authorities closed schools and deployed emergency services to the region, and experts scrambled to interpret the tremors, which peaked with a 5.3-magnitude temblor on Feb. 10.
    — Niki Kitsantonis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of tremor
Verb
  • His signature is shallow stones, which not only increases radiance, but also ensures the jewels move with the body, illustrated by a pair of drop earrings depicting the lifecycle of a flower from quivering bud to tiny, articulated petals that are alive with movement.
    — Kate Matthams, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Pearl Jam frontman plays the cover pretty straight (not that that’s a bad thing), with just acoustic guitar accompaniment and a vocal performance that’s distinctly reminiscent of Young’s soft, quivering tenor.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of quiver
Verb
  • But the ruling did little to herald any political stability in the country, which has lurched from crisis to crisis.
    — Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
  • For the last six weeks, Americans have been yanked and ghosted, lurched and launched with a merciless urgency.
    — Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of lurch
Verb
  • IndieWire understands the festival was waiting to confirm Denzel Washington’s attendance, and indeed the star will be at Cannes.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • My doctor originally tried to watch and wait to see if my blood pressure would go down.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of wait

Browse Nearby Words

wizzes
wobble
wobbled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wobble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wobble. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on wobble

Nglish: Translation of wobble for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All